Sarabjit Singh’s death: Events as they unfolded

New Delhi/Lahore: As Indian death row prisoner Sarabjit Singh died of "cardiac arrest" in Lahore`s Kot Lakhpat Jail early Thursday morning following a brutal attack a week back, India today expressed anger and outrage over the development.

The government described Sarabjit Singh`s passing away as "the killing of our citizen while in the custody of Pakistan jail authorities" and asked it to conduct a "thorough investigation" to identify those responsible for the attack on him and "ensure they are punished".

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh described Sarabjit as "a brave son of India" and regretted that the Pakistan government had not heeded to the pleas of the Indian government to take a humanitarian view in the case.

Sarabjit will be accorded a state funeral in his hometown of Bhikhiwind in Punjab tomorrow with full state honours.

Here are the latest updates in the case:9:50 pm: Indian Air Force chopper carrying Sarabjit’s body from Amritsar reaches his native village Bhikhiwind.

4:06 pm: The Air India plane with only crew onboard will reach Lahore in an hour`s time, says the spokesperson. He adds two officials of the Indian High Commission will be onboard on return journey; doesn`t say when will the plane arrive back in India.

4:05 pm:External Affairs Ministry spokesman Syed Akbaruddin briefs the press, says special plane took off at 3:46 pm for Lahore to bring back Sarabjit Singh`s body.

4:05 pm: Pak human rights activist reacts to Dalbir Kaur`s allegations of Rs 25 crores being sought for Sarabjit`s release, asks, "Is this the reward for me to help Dalbir Kaur, her family and other Indian prisoners on humanitarian and compassionate grounds?"

3:15 pm: An ex-gratia payment of Rs 25 lakhs has been announced from the Prime Minister`s Relief Fund for the family of Sarabjit Singh, say reports.

3:05 pm: Sources say Sarabjit Singh`s body will be brought back this evening and his funeral will take place in his native place at 2:00 pm tomorrow.

3:00 pm: A Pakistani medical board completes autopsy on body of Sarabjit; first post-mortem report expected in three weeks.

2:40 pm: Indian Foreign Secretary speaks to his Pakistani counterpart, asks him to speed up the process of handing over Sarabjit`s body.

1:40 pm: Diplomatic relations with Pakistan should be scaled down and India`s High Commissioner should be called back, demands Rajnath Singh.

1:40 pm: Sarabjit`s death is a diplomatic failure of UPA govt; it must ensure safety of other Indian prisoners in Pakistan, says BJP president Rajnath Singh.12:50 pm: Sources say Sarabjit`s body could arrive in India by 1:30 pm today. Security has been tightened in Sarabjit`s village.

12:40 pm: Caretaker Chief Minister of Pakistan`s Punjab province, Najam Sethi, has ordered a judicial inquiry into the death of Sarabjit Singh.

11:16 am: Every Indian is asking about the steps our government is taking to send a strong message to Pakistan, says Smriti Irani of the BJP.

11:15 am: Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi meets Sarabjit Singh`s family in the national capital.

11:10 am: India to send a special plane to Lahore to bring back the body of Sarabjit Singh, adds Shinde.

11:10 am: Modalities to bring Sarabjit`s body back are being worked out, says Home Minister Sushilkumar Shinde.

11:05 am: SAD MP Harsimrat Kaur says the Punjab CM has said that Sarabjit will be given state honour and both his daughters will be given jobs.

11:00 am: Khurshid says the government will issue a statement in Parliament and adds the PM has already conveyed his anguish.

11:00 am: External Affairs Minister Salman Khurshid says the death of Sarabjit Singh has hurt the long-lasting Indo-Pak relationship. "My prayers go out to the family," the minister says.

10:50 am: Pakistani police slaps murder charges against two death row prisoners who were booked for the brutal assault on fellow-inmate Sarabjit Singh.

10:45 am: Pakistan government will continue to facilitate for the early completion of all formalities and hand over the mortal remains to Indian High Commission, adds the Foreign Ministry.

10:45 am: Despite Jinnah Hospital`s best efforts, they could not save him and Sarabjit Singh passed away due to cardiac arrest, says Pakistan`s Foreign Ministry.

10:40 am: I have been saying that an innocent can`t be killed, today he has been murdered, says Sarbjit`s sister.

10:40 am: Sarabjit`s sister Dalbir Kaur accuses Pakistan President Asif Ali Zardari of killing her brother. "India`s Sarabjit Singh has been martyred, an Indian has been killed. Zardari killed him," she says.

10:33 am: It is very unfortunate, Pakistan has again shown its true colours, says Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kamal Nath.

10:15 am: The Pakistani establishment must account for Sarabjit`s death, Tewari says, and adds what has happened is extremely inhuman, barbaric and it is not the way a civilized state treats their prisoners.

10:15 am: An Indian citizen has been murdered in cold blood in the custody of the Pakistani state, says Manish Tewari of the Congress.

10:05 am: Sarabjit`s is not a death but a murder. No human rights or rule of law exists in Pakistan and our government has also faltered in dealing with Islamabad, says Meenakshi Lekhi of BJP.

10:00 am: He wasn`t guilty and not even released on humanitarian grounds; the development is very unfortunate, it seems to be a conspiracy, says SGPC president Avtar Singh Makkar.